P2 Sustainable use of common resources
2.3. Better urban planning in the Central Baltic region
Central Baltic
01.12.2015 - 31.08.2018
€2 351 260
€1 831 945
The project iWater aims at improving urban planning by developing integrated storm water management in Central Baltic cities. As the Baltic Sea region is estimated to face more frequent and heavier rainfalls, the current planning and management practices have proven to be weak in meeting these challenges. Thus, the project idea is to create higher quality, cleaner and safer urban environment and increase urban sustainability.
To reach its goals, the project develops guidelines and tools for an Integrated Storm Water Management and introduces the practices into urban planning process. For example, the project provides a platform for science-practice collaboration, aiming to find and develop common management methods, guidelines, tools and solutions for an Integrated Storm Water Management. The project establishes local support groups within all partner cities enabling municipalities to develop their solutions in close collaboration with local stakeholders and various community interest groups.
Consequently, local management practices are developed into an Integrated Storm Water Management approach which will link all the urban planning processes and stakeholders. In practice, the project partner cities adopt new programmes and approximately 35 other cities are trained to use developed methods in the region. In addition, a student competition is organised to find and develop new and innovative solutions for 7 partner cities, which result in construction or investment plans. Thus, urban planning is taken to a higher level by developing, localizing and piloting new tools in the Central Baltic region.
Rīgas dome
Country: LV
Partner budget: 323.871 EUR
Amount of ERDF funding: 275.291 EUR ERDF
Jelgavas pilsētas dome
Country: LV
Partner budget: 113.830 EUR
Amount of ERDF funding: 96.756 EUR ERDF
Söderhamns kommun
Country: SE
Partner budget: 309.950 EUR
Amount of ERDF funding: 232.463 EUR ERDF
Gävle kommun
Country: SE
Partner budget: 329.885 EUR
Amount of ERDF funding: 247.414 EUR ERDF
Tartu Linnavalitsus
Country: EE
Partner budget: 247.300 EUR
Amount of ERDF funding: 210.205 EUR ERDF
Helsingin kaupunki
Country: FI
Partner budget: 278.363 EUR
Amount of ERDF funding: 208.772 EUR ERDF
Turun kaupunki
Country: FI
Partner budget: 292.550 EUR
Amount of ERDF funding: 219.413 EUR ERDF
Itämeren kaupunkien liiton ympäristösihteeristö c/o Turun kaupunki
Country: FI
http://www.ubc-environment.net/
Partner budget: 262.042 EUR
Amount of ERDF funding: 196.531 EUR ERDF
Aalto-korkeakoulusäätiö
Country: FI
Partner budget: 193.469 EUR
Amount of ERDF funding: 145.102 EUR ERDF
Expected results
Local SW management practices will be developed into a full Integrated Storm Water Management (ISWM) approach which will link all urban planning processes and stakeholders on all levels (master/detailed urban planning/construction permitting/street planning/environmental planning/infrastructure planning/municipal level/regional level). 7 iWater partner cities will develop and adopt their own SW programs/plans. Also ISWM guidelines and ISWM peer review evaluation criteria will be developed.
Urban planning will be taken to a higher level by developing, localizing and piloting ISWM tools that allow using multifunctional solutions in urban planning. Approx. 25-35 BSR cities and regions will be trained to use the ISWM approach outlined in ISWM guidelines and different tools.
Evaluation criteria for sustainable SW solutions and review of previous cost-benefit analyses of SW systems will be done. An open idea competition will be organised to develop innovative ISWM solutions that are applicable in BSR and to communicate widely about why to invest in these solutions. Based on ideas, partner cities will prepare plans for innovative pilot investments showcasing the benefits of integrated SW management (water quality, recreation, urban biodiversity, flood prevention, etc).
The results will directly increase the share of urban areas covered by ISWM through piloting and programming and in a long term the guidelines and tools supporting implementation of ISWM in urban areas will be disseminated to cities and institutions in BSR.